Yuttasak Thammajali, Phrabuddhivongsamunee Temple, Stockton, California
“I was 12 years old, and I didn’t know anything. I just followed my dad. He said I should become a monk. At that time I didn’t know what a monk does, but when I became a monk, I studied and I practiced – now I understand. I am happy to be a monk, and I understand why my dad wanted me to become a monk. He believes in reincarnation and karma. If we do something bad, bad things will happen, if we do something good, good things will happen. That’s why my dad asked me to become a monk, he wants me to have a good life, now and in future lives.”
“To be happy means to be peaceful. Calm down, don’t think too much. If somebody wants to argue with you, don’t get angry, let them speak, don’t worry, just keep it easy. Now, my doctor tells me the same. I had a stroke a few months ago, and there is some blood in my brain, which cannot move freely. So my doctor tells me not to think too much, because it could cause another stroke.”
“My practice helps me to control my heart and my mind, and to calm down. If somebody never practices, they don’t know how to control themselves when they get angry, when they are sad, but if you know how to practice, you can let these moments pass by. Only one time I wasn’t able to control my mind, I felt sad, and even felt like I wanted to die – when I had a stroke. It was a bad situation. Nothing felt important anymore. I thought I would die soon. But my practice eventually helped me to control my thoughts, how I spoke to myself, and to calm down.”
“The Lord Buddha said, when you have a problem, look at it. Concentrate, calm down, think about why you have this problem, where it comes from, and then fix it. Every problem has a solution.”
“When a thought comes up in my mind, I first try to see if it is true or not true. For example, when I look at people, I don’t think they are good, or they are bad. Sometimes people look good on the outside, or talk good, but when we observe their actions, we recognize their actions are not good. I don’t believe my thinking, I observe first.”